Rode Wireless Go II - 2 channel receiver with inbuilt recorder

[Anaconda_]

Surprised there's not chatter about this here. Anyone know how it gets around those transmission and recording patents?

https://www.rode.com/microphones/wireless/wirelessgoii

I also can't find exact details on recorded audio formats etc.

Quote

Each Wireless GO II transmitter has on-board recording capabilities, with enough internal memory to store over 24 hours of compressed audio and seven hours of uncompressed audio. When active, recording will begin as soon as the transmitters are connected to the receiver, so you will always have a backup of your recording in case you experience dropouts or other audio issues.

 

[KnightsFan]

Oh wow, I assumed that it could only record when transmission was disabled and vice versa. But that quote makes it seem like it's simultaneous? Maybe if the time stamps of the files don't match it gets around the patent? It says it starts recording as soon as it's connected, so I guess that would mean no start/stop button. I have no idea though.

I'm certainly going to look out for more information, because that's a crucial feature! Some of the news stories also mentioned safety track recording as well, but I didn't see if that was on the recorder or output from the receiver. If it can record normal and -20 db safety track on the transmitter, while transmitting... instant buy.

[Anaconda_]

It seems very snazzy to be honest. All these points are in the video below, but here's what I like and don't like:

• It records on a loop, so if you don't backup the recordings, they get written over once you run out of internal memory.
• If you record uncompressed internal, you can then get a 32-bit float file off the transmitter. No need for -20db safety track
• If you record in Sum to Mono mode, the internal recording has a -20db safety track
• If you experience any audio dropouts to the receiver, the internal recordings will have a marker at those points.
• You can add markers manually with a single tap on the receivers power button
• Update in the works for gen1 transmitter to work with gen2 reciever

 

[KnightsFan]

Whoa... why was 32 bit not more prominent on the news sites? Definitely going to get one of these at some point if it performs well in reviews. I wonder if the ADC actually has the headroom to take advantage of 32 bit though. It's easy to clip the Wireless Go 1 and as far as I could tell, the gain on the original only affects the output from the receiver.

I also wonder how they got around the patents though, but as long as it works and is legal, it doesn't matter to me! I assume some of those quirks, like the loop recording, have to do with it?

[Trek of Joy]

Has anyone used these and found them to be reliable signal wise and quiet? I have a Sennheiser G3 that I'd like to shrink, but the 2.4ghz thing makes me nervous. Some call them the bees-knees and some call them noisy. A backup recording sounds handy too.

Chris

[KnightsFan]

25 minutes ago, Trek of Joy said:

Has anyone used these and found them to be reliable signal wise and quiet? I have a Sennheiser G3 that I'd like to shrink, but the 2.4ghz thing makes me nervous. Some call them the bees-knees and some call them noisy. A backup recording sounds handy too.

Chris

If it has backup recording on the transmitter, then reliability won't be as much of a deal breaker. I have the Wireless Go I. They've been 100% reliable at short distances, but I haven't used them at their limits. I have found them to sound fine. I've never done head to heads, but the results I got were every bit as good as from G3's and UWP's with kit mics... though it's not a direct comparison since it was different conditions, different actors, etc. I guess the takeaway is that they aren't bad by any means, sound-wise. One big disadvantage is that there is no locking 3.5mm connector on Go's though.

[gt3rs]

I think will upgrade from go to go ii as the two transmitters plus better range and internal recording are very useful to me but:

- If I understand well is not recording 32bit float, just exporting in 32bit....

- internal recording starts as soon as you connect to the receiver this is great but if it loses the connection for more than 15min it will stop and turn off, rarely but sometime is an issue for me as I put the go on an athlete that is doing warmup somewhere else.... wish it has a start and stop indipendently from the receiver connectivity. The 15min shutdown is also on the previous go. It should be a setting.

Previous go was very reliable but range was not great. The new one should be better and with the bk recording on transmitter is more worry free. Also the windshield lock in the old one was a joke the new one seems better

[Anaconda_]

6 minutes ago, KnightsFan said:

One big disadvantage is that there is no locking 3.5mm connector on Go's though.

That's basically the only thing missing now. Although, I've been looping the lav cable under the clip and also using some tape to keep it in place. It's not exactly pretty, but gets the job done. The thing isn't in the shot anyway, so it's fine. Of course, it depends on your use though.

[scotchtape]

Looks pretty interesting, not to be negative but it would be even better if you could control when the recording starts/stops and/or if you could use sd/microsd.  On a longer shoot day you'll need to lug around a computer to offload the files to make sure you have space for uncompressed recording.

Other than the lack of locking 3.5mm it looks like really good for a small system.

Still looking forward to the deity transceiver as that does TC, hopefully they've been working on adding 32bit float recording to it though, as it would suck if it was 24bit only.

[Anaconda_]

1 minute ago, scotchtape said:

it would be even better if you could control when the recording starts/stops and/or if you could use sd/microsd.  On a longer shoot day you'll need to lug around a computer to offload the files to make sure you have space for uncompressed recording.

I think they're also working on a Android/iOS app, which might help with the recording part. Start/Stop would be fantastic. If you're leaving it running all day, maybe use the compressed version for 24 hours of recorded audio? Or if you only need one of the mics, switch them after 6ish hours? 

3 minutes ago, gt3rs said:

If I understand well is not recording 32bit float, just exporting in 32bit....

But records uncompressed. Honestly, I don't even know what that means, but I imagine there's enough headroom. Will have to wait for real world tests.

[scotchtape]

TBH It's kind of dumb that it only records 7hrs uncompressed considering how cheap SD cards are for audio.

Using an online calculator, a 24hr 44.1kHz 32-bit stereo file would be 30.5GB...  so this basically has 10gb built in. 

64gb microSD on amazon is anywhere from $8-$15, 32gb is like $5. I don't know the prices of integrated storage is but it couldn't add that much to the prices...

[gt3rs]

8 minutes ago, Anaconda_ said:

I think they're also working on a Android/iOS app, which might help with the recording part. Start/Stop would be fantastic. If you're leaving it running all day, maybe use the compressed version for 24 hours of recorded audio? Or if you only need one of the mics, switch them after 6ish hours? 

But records uncompressed. Honestly, I don't even know what that means, but I imagine there's enough headroom. Will have to wait for real world tests.

From the spec it seems to record 24bit uncompressed and you can export 32 bit float but not sure what is the advantage compared to 24bit ....

[KnightsFan]

14 minutes ago, gt3rs said:

- If I understand well is not recording 32bit float, just exporting in 32bit....

Ah, that would be a pity. If true then probably won't be useful for me, as I've had no issues with dropouts in my use case. Though the safety track would get to the same place, if it can do that on the transmitter side.

8 minutes ago, Anaconda_ said:

But records uncompressed. Honestly, I don't even know what that means, but I imagine there's enough headroom. Will have to wait for real world tests.

It just means that the data, whether 16 bit, 24 bit, or 32, has not been compressed, for example into MP3. If 24 bit (god forbid 16 bit!) then it will have the same digital dynamic range and potential clipping as other recorders, no matter what you export.

Just now, gt3rs said:

From the spec it seems to record 24bit uncompressed and you can export 32 bit float but not sure what is the advantage compared to 24bit ....

Maybe it can autocombine the safety track? That would get the same results, but offloading processing from realtime into post, since that's what any 32 bit recorder does already.

[IronFilm]

/Zaxcom Lawyers have entered the chat....
 

Perhaps Rode is willing to contest hard in court this bullsh*t patent? And Rode thinks Zaxcom is smart enough not to try and take on a much bigger company than themselves in court, as Rode could make this run on longer with legal fees than perhaps Zaxcom could cope with. 

Rode isn't the only one willing to fight it either, the case with Lectrosonics is still ongoing. 

In the end, I think the patent expires in 2024 anyway?

  

14 hours ago, KnightsFan said:

One big disadvantage is that there is no locking 3.5mm connector on Go's though.

Absolute MADNESS that this wasn't included! What was Rode thinking???

[scotchtape]

Ok, seeing how the price is only $300USD more or less all can be forgiven.

I suppose they could always make "pro" versions later on if these see success, and get better reviews than the first generation.

[A_Urquhart]

Just a guess, but maybe Zaxcom's patent is for recording to removable media and Rode got around this by recording to internal memory? No idea if this is correct though.

 

I received my Wireless Go II yesterday and had a quick play. The system is fantastic and the range more than adequate for my use. I mounted both TX's on my belt (hips) and walked (outside) about 20meters without issues. When turning around, the TX that was blocked by my body lost signal, I did the same test at around 15 meters and even with my body between TX and RX the signal was solid. I then walked about 10meters and had two solid brick walls between the TX's and RX's and the signal was solid.  I've had range anxiety with 2.4Ghz systems so never used one until now but the internal recording on each transmitter absolutely cures this. I'll be using this for interviews in a documentary I am working on (it's a solo shooter gig so no sound recordist). I've mainly used Senny G3's and G4's and to be honest, never been all that impressed with their UHF performance (yes, I know how to set them up). The size, and single receiver for two transmitters is a game changer for me as I can easily leave the receiver on the camera. I'm shooting this job on the Pocket4K and there is no way I wanted to have two G4 receivers mounted to the camera.

After the test, I plugged one of the TX's into my laptop and the recordings come up and flags show where signal was dropped. Selected my in and out points and exporting the 3minute WAV file took around 10-15 seconds. 

So far, body mounted recorders like the Zoom F2 and even the new tentacle sync fail in that you can't monitor the sound live so if clothing or wind noise develops or a hidden lav comes unstuck during an interview , you won't know until you listen back to the files and by then it's usually too late. UHF systems on the other hand are bulky for a solo shooter with smaller camera and you can get RF hits and need to be more careful with channel selection.  

For me, I see this system as two in one.

A wireless system for recording interviews up to 10 meters away where the in camera audio received by the Wireless Go will be perfectly usable.

A body pack recorder where I can monitor the sound most of the time (within range)

Thing's I wish the Wireless Go had are: 

- Be able to start and stop recording on each TX by pressing a button on the RX

- A locking connector would be nice but I remedy this by using a right angle mini jack adaptor at the TX 3.5mm port and then add a small black rubber band around the unit and top of the jack so it can't come out. it's heat shrink'd on where the lav and right angle female port interconnect so no chance of failing at that point.

- Native 32bit float recording. You can output your recordings as 32bit float but I fail to see the point of this. I'm no audio guru but isn't that similar to recording video at 8bit 4:2:0 and then saving the files as ProRes4444? Do you really gain anything?

- an input gain setting on the TX's but the Wireless Go TX's really do a pretty good job at not distorting with higher sound levels.

- A micro SD card slot on the TX's instead of internal memory. 

The above wishes along with timecode input would make a great Semi Pro system Rode...... your RodeLink systems are really long in the tooth now and due an upgrade...;-)

 

 

[A_Urquhart]

On 2/26/2021 at 6:48 AM, KnightsFan said:

 

Maybe it can autocombine the safety track? That would get the same results, but offloading processing from realtime into post, since that's what any 32 bit recorder does already.

The safety track is NOT recorded by the transmitter (that would be great if it did!). The transmitter only records one track. 

The safety track feature is only available when the Receiver is working in single channel mode either only receiving one signal or combining the two TX signals into a mixed mono track. It then uses the other available track output to send a signal to the camera that is 20dB lower on track two. 

[KnightsFan]

1 hour ago, A_Urquhart said:

The safety track is NOT recorded by the transmitter (that would be great if it did!). The transmitter only records one track. 

The safety track feature is only available when the Receiver is working in single channel mode either only receiving one signal or combining the two TX signals into a mixed mono track. It then uses the other available track output to send a signal to the camera that is 20dB lower on track two. 

Good to know. That seems kind of pointless, to be honest. Some real baffling decisions have been made with this product. 32 bit... from a 24 bit source. Backup track... after it's digitally clipped at the transmitter. Well, so much for my excitement.

2 hours ago, A_Urquhart said:

- an input gain setting on the TX's but the Wireless Go TX's really do a pretty good job at not distorting with higher sound levels.

This is another baffling design choice. Have you compared to the original Wireless Go? The original definitely does NOT keep from hard clipping an actor with a bit of energy. If they didn't fix that, then my guess is these aren't intended for anything other than interviews speaking at conversational levels.

[A_Urquhart]

1 hour ago, KnightsFan said:

 my guess is these aren't intended for anything other than interviews speaking at conversational levels.

And that's all I bought them for. Haven't tried shouting into them too hard but then I've never shot interviews where people have shouted. Curtis Judd did a review of the v1 Wireless Go and said he had a hard time getting it to distort, if at all. Ill do a test.

 

To be fair, these are not professional tools although I will use them professionally and the content I am shooting will be broadcast on major networks here. I know their limitations and will work within them but the flexibility they open up is pretty extraordinary especially for the price. 

A pro version of these is long over due and you would think that Rode would have to have something in the works....surely. 

[KnightsFan]

14 hours ago, A_Urquhart said:

Curtis Judd did a review of the v1 Wireless Go and said he had a hard time getting it to distort, if at all. Ill do a test.

He must have a quiet voice. Mine have hard clipped several times, not even really shouting but just with actors talking with a bit of force. And it appears that the gain settings are applied to the output, so there's no way to mitigate clipping at the transmitter at all.

14 hours ago, A_Urquhart said:

A pro version of these is long over due and you would think that Rode would have to have something in the works....surely. 

Hopefully. Either Rode or Deity. Seriously all the they need is 32 bit float recording on the transmitter and it's an instant buy, professional or not. I can work around everything else, internal storage/batteries, non-locking connector, and even the weird looping recording.